Tampa Bay HC Jon Cooper Reveals Key to Lightning’s Swift Surge
For the first few weeks of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t resemble the cup contender many now view them as. They didn’t even look like a team ready to stay afloat. A single victory in their first seven games of the 2025/26 season was one of the worst opening stretches in franchise history, and left the Lightning searching for answers.
Everything felt off for the Bolts. The structure wasn’t clean, the execution wasn’t crisp, the powerplay looked terrible, and the confidence that defined their championship years simply wasn’t there. Then, almost without warning, something flipped, and in just a month, Tampa Bay went from last to first in the Atlantic Division.
How Tampa Bay Pulled Off Their Midseason Surge
Since their terrible start, the Lightning have dominated the league with a 15–3–0 record in their last 18 games, and are now riding a season-high seven-game win streak at the top of the Atlantic Division.
They also have the top penalty kill in the NHL at an elite 88.5%, and the third best shooting percentage at 12.7%. Similar to how the Dallas Stars play, despite averaging one of the lowest shots on goal per game in the NHL at 26.2, they remain one of the league’s top-scoring teams by focusing on smart, high-percentage opportunities.
Despite some recent injury struggles, a lot has gone right for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy rhas returned to peak form, stopping scoring chances with highlight reel saves like they’re routine. Nikita Kucherov has found his MVP form with five straight multi-point games and a nine-game point streak. Brandon Hagel has caught fire too, scoring in five straight outings with multiple-goal performances in three of them.
Equally important is the play on the blue line. With major injuries to top defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak, Tampa’s young defenders have stepped up. JJ Moser is becoming essential to the Lightning’s blue line, and rookie Charle-Édouard D’Astous has received praise for his impressive poise and reliability.
Jon Cooper’s Message to His Players
At the center of everything remains Jon Cooper — arguably the best coach in the NHL and the league’s longest-tenured bench boss for a reason. During a recent pregame media scrum, Cooper was asked how he’s handled the early injury adversity and the Lightning’s sudden dominance after the shaky start. Part of his answer surprised some people.
“Probably a little bit of a mindset," Cooper said. "You’ve got a plethora of different players coming in, and young guys… it’s not next man up. Nobody is taking Hedman’s spot or McDonagh’s spot or Point’s spot. You can’t replace those guys. But the players coming up are showing us what they have, and they’re really excited to be here. You give them an assignment and they’re just going out and doing it.”
Cooper’s answer also reminded me of that well-known Pep Guardiola meme where he says, "We cannot replace him" (video below). It came to mind because the situation felt similar: some players simply can’t be replaced, and everyone around the team understands that.
Tampa Bay’s youth isn’t replacing its stars, they’re elevating around them.
“They’ve been a lot of fun to be around," Cooper said. "I don’t know how long this is gonna last, but the one thing is we’ll give you an honest effort. That’s what these guys are doing, and it’s working pretty well for us.”
The Lightning Are Only Looking Forward
Tampa Bay’s surge hasn’t been about one magic fix. It’s been a mix of star power heating up, young players proving they belong, and a coaching staff that knows how to steady the room when it matters. They’re starting to look like a team that understands exactly what it takes to grind through an 82-game season.
There’s still a long road ahead, and the Eastern Conference won’t make anything easy. But the Lightning have re-established their identity — disciplined, dangerous and fully invested. If they continue playing with this level of confidence and structure, they won’t just be climbing the standings. They’ll be shaping the race at the top.
A month ago, they were finding their footing. Now, they’re playing like a team that expects to win again. And that, for the rest of the league, is a problem.
Commanders Get Update on QB Jayden Daniels Before Broncos Game
The Washington Commanders got a major update on starting QB Jayden Daniels ahead of their Week 13 game against the Broncos. Daniels has been out since Week 9 when he suffered a dislocated elbow late in a blowout loss to the Seahawks. It’s the second stretch of time Daniels has missed this season after missing two games with a leg injury early in the season.
According to Adam Schefter, ESPN’s NFL insider, Daniels practiced all week in a “limited capacity.” He’s already been ruled out against Denver, and he hasn’t yet been cleared for contact as he attempts to return from injury. That’s still a major hurdle Daniels will have to overcome before he can return to the field in a game setting.
Daniels would like to play if he’s healthy, but it’s unclear when that will be. It’s possible he could make his return in Week 14 against Minnesota, but we should have a better idea of his timeline as he practices next week. Until he’s cleared for contact, he’ll be a ways out from making his return.
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniel Couldn’t Replicate His Rookie Success
After a sensational college career at Arizona State and LSU, Daniels was selected No. 2 overall by the Commanders in the 2024 draft. He hit the ground running in his first season, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award behind 3,568 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions, completing passes at a 69-percent clip. Daniels added 891 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, quickly establishing himself as one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the league.
The Commanders overachieved last year, winning 12 games and making a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game, knocking off the Bucs and the Lions (the NFC’s No. 1 seed) along the way. In every sense of the word, Daniels was special, and Washington entered this season with a lot of optimism to continue working towards a championship.
This season, Daniels has thrown for 1,184 yards and eight touchdowns to two interceptions at a 62.5 percent completion rate in six games. On top of that, he’s added 262 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Washington Commanders Need to Undergo a Mini Roster Reset
In addition to Daniels’ middling production, the Commanders have the oldest roster in the NFL, and the team kind of fell apart around Daniels. Injuries to his wide receivers and running backs, combined with regression from the offensive line, hamstrung this offense even when Daniels was on the field. His injuries only added to the Commanders’ woes.
Additionally, Washington has the league’s worst secondary and a non-existent pass rush. All told, the Commanders are working on a 3-8 season, a far cry from the lofty heights they expected to reach. They need to get younger and add talent in the trenches, but that’s easier said than done.
